Weta — fascinating not fierce

September 11, Tuesday. 7.30 pm

Room S.G.01, Gate 8, Hillcrest Road, or Gate 1 on

on Knighton Rd, Waikato University

Royal Society of New Zealand Waikato Branch Lecture Series, Facing the Future

All welcome. This event is free

Dr Corinne Watts, Invertebrate Ecologist, Landcare Research, Hamilton

Weta are the flagship for New Zealand insect conservation. There are five types of weta in New Zealand: tree, cave, ground, tusked and giant weta. Many of the larger bodied weta, such as the tusked and giant weta are now rare and threatened following the introduction of predatory mammals into New Zealand. These weta are ideal subjects for translocation and conservation projects and some of these will be outlined. Love them or fear them these distinctive New Zealand insect icons are unique and the development of monitoring and translocation techniques are leading the development of reintroduction biology for invertebrates. In addition, live Mahoenui giant weta will be the ‘stars’ of the evening.

Corinne Watts is an Invertebrate Ecologist at Landcare Research in Hamilton. Corinne did her PhD at the University of Canterbury on the restoration of invertebrate communities after peat mining in Waikato wetlands. She works on monitoring insect communities after mammal control or eradication at biodiversity sanctuaries throughout NZ and is part of a team at Landcare Research Hamilton and DOC that monitors and translocates threatened insects, particularly weta.